Meanings
noundative case (plural dative cases)
plural dative cases
- grammarCase used to express direction towards an indirect object, the recipient or beneficiary of an action, and is generally indicated in English by to (when a recipient) or for (when a beneficiary) with the objective case. The direct object may be either stated or unstated where the indirect object is the beneficiary of the verbal action, but is stated where the indirect object is a recipient. If there is emphasis on the indirect object, the indirect object usually precedes the direct object and is not usually indicated with to or for; said structure is also used when neither object is being emphasized.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe category of nouns serving as the indirect object of a verb
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek δοτική
- δοτική (dotikḗ)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Arabic حَالَة الْمَفْعُول لَهُ, حَالَة مِنْ حَالَات النُّصْب
- حَالَة الْمَفْعُول لَهُcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- حَالَة مِنْ حَالَات النُّصْبcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Bulgarian да́телен паде́ж
- да́телен паде́ж (dátelen padéž)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Catalan datiu
- datiucase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Chinese Mandarin 與格 /与格
- 與格 /与格 (yǔgé)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Czech dativ, třetí pád
- dativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- třetí pádcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Dutch datief, derde naamval
- datiefcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- derde naamvalcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dativuscase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Esperanto dativo
- dativocase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Estonian daativ
- daativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Finnish datiivi
- datiivicase used to express direction towards an indirect object
French datif, complément d'objet indirect
- datifcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- complément d'objet indirectcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- C.O.I.case used to express direction towards an indirect object
- troisième déclinaisoncase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- quatrième déclinaisoncase used to express direction towards an indirect object
German Dativ, Wemfall
- Dativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- Wemfallcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dritter Fallcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- Wem-Fallcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Greek δοτική πτώση
- δοτική πτώση (dotikí ptósi)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Hungarian részes eset, részeshatározó eset
- részes esetcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- részeshatározó esetcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dativuscase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Icelandic þágufall
- þágufallcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Indonesian datif
- datifcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Irish tabharthach
- tabharthachcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Italian caso dativo
- caso dativocase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Japanese 与格
- 与格 (yokaku)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Korean 여격
- 여격 (yeogyeok)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Latin (casus) dativus
- (casus) dativuscase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Latvian datīvs
- datīvscase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Lithuanian naudininkas
- naudininkascase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Malay kes kasus ketiga
- kes kasus ketigacase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Norwegian dativ, sidefall
- dativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- sidefallcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Polish celownik
- celownikcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Portuguese caso dativo, dativo
- caso dativocase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dativocase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Romanian caz dativ, dativ
- caz dativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Russian да́тельный паде́ж, да́тельный
- да́тельный паде́ж (dátelʹnyj padéž)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
- да́тельный (dátelʹnyj)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Scottish Gaelic tuiseal tabhartach
- tuiseal tabhartachcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Slovak tretí pád, datív
- tretí pádcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- datívcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Spanish caso dativo, dativo
- caso dativocase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dativocase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Swedish dativ
- dativcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Tamil நான்காம் வேற்றுமை
- நான்காம் வேற்றுமை (nāṉkām vēṟṟumai)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Thai สัมปทานการก
- สัมปทานการก (sǎm-bpà-taan-gaa-rók)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Turkish -e hâli, datif
- -e hâlicase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- datifcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- yönelme hâli/durumucase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- -e hâli/durumucase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Ukrainian дава́льний відмі́нок, дава́льний
- дава́льний відмі́нок (daválʹnyj vidmínok)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
- дава́льний (daválʹnyj)case used to express direction towards an indirect object
Vietnamese tặng cách, dữ cách
- tặng cáchcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- dữ cáchcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Welsh dadiol, derbyniol
- dadiolcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
- derbyniolcase used to express direction towards an indirect object
Cite this entry
APA
dative case. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dative%20case
MLA
“dative case.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dative%20case. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dative case,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dative%20case.
Source: dative case on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.